Automatic frequency band selection using infrastructure-enabled beaconing

ABSTRACT

Apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to provide improved, automatic, and dynamic frequency selection for and/or by medical body area network apparatus are disclosed. Certain examples provide a medical body area network apparatus. The example apparatus includes a radio to receive a beacon signal and a processor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of the apparatus. The example processor is configured to at least: when the beacon signal indicates a first location, communicate via a first frequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates a second location, communicate via a second frequency band.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to medical body area network, and,more particularly, to automatic frequency band selection for medicalbody area networks using infrastructure-enabled beacons.

BACKGROUND

Real-time location systems (RTLS) monitor asset distribution and usage,providing actionable information to help control costs and improve thequality and efficiency of care. Systems that have been developed totrack and analyze activities in clinical settings have includedinstalling Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or infrared (IR) readerinfrastructures into buildings to capture position information. RFIDsensors may be placed on the people and/or assets that need to betracked.

However, this is an expensive and time-consuming solution because itrequires pulling power and data cabling to all the required locations.Location accuracy can also vary depending on technology. Typical RFIDsystems have a tolerance of approximately plus-or-minus ten feet,further limiting their range. RFID and IR-based sensors, though, arehighly susceptible to drift due to interference in the environment(e.g., a patient room) and cross talk between locations that arephysically separated, but have a line of sight between them (e.g., twopatient rooms across the hall from each other).

Therefore, it would be desirable to design a system and method fortracking locations and interactions between people and assets in anenvironment with minimal infrastructure requirements and standardizedtechnologies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Certain examples provide improved, automatic, and dynamic frequencyselection for and/or by medical body area network apparatus.

Certain examples provide a medical body area network apparatus. Theexample apparatus includes a radio to receive a beacon signal and aprocessor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of theapparatus. The example processor is configured to at least: when thebeacon signal indicates a first location, communicate via a firstfrequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates a second location,communicate via a second frequency band.

Certain examples provide a computer readable storage medium includinginstructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at leastimplement a method to control a medical body area network device by atleast: processing a beacon signal to determine a location of the medicalbody area network device; when the beacon signal indicates a firstlocation, communicating via a first frequency band; and when the beaconsignal indicates a second location, communicating via a second frequencyband.

Certain examples provide a method to control a medical body area networkdevice. The example method includes processing, using a processor, abeacon signal to determine a location of the device. The example methodincludes, when the beacon signal indicates a first location,communicating via a first frequency band. The example method includes,when the beacon signal indicates a second location, communicating via asecond frequency band.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and technical aspects of the system and method disclosedherein will become apparent in the following Detailed Description setforth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which likereference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example medical body area network (MBAN) includinga plurality of nodes or devices in communication with a hub.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example communication infrastructure of a wirelesspatient monitoring system.

FIGS. 3A-3C show example beacon configuration with respect to an MBANhub.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example data flow between a control point, an MBANhub, and beacons.

FIGS. 5-10 illustrate flow diagrams of example methods to controlfrequency band operation of an MBAN.

FIGS. 11-12 are block diagrams of an example processor platforms thatcan execute instructions to implement the example systems and methods ofFIGS. 1-10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown byway of illustration specific examples that may be practiced. Theseexamples are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in theart to practice the subject matter, and it is to be understood thatother examples may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, electricaland other changes may be made without departing from the scope of thesubject matter of this disclosure. The following detailed descriptionis, therefore, provided to describe an exemplary implementation and notto be taken as limiting on the scope of the subject matter described inthis disclosure. Certain features from different aspects of thefollowing description may be combined to form yet new aspects of thesubject matter discussed below.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

As used herein, the terms “system,” “unit,” “module,” “engine,” etc.,may include a hardware and/or software system that operates to performone or more functions. For example, a module, unit, or system mayinclude a computer processor, controller, and/or other logic-baseddevice that performs operations based on instructions stored on atangible and non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as acomputer memory. Alternatively, a module, unit, engine, or system mayinclude a hard-wired device that performs operations based on hard-wiredlogic of the device. Various modules, units, engines, and/or systemsshown in the attached figures may represent the hardware that operatesbased on software or hardwired instructions, the software that directshardware to perform the operations, or a combination thereof.

Example Medical Body Area Network Systems

Certain examples of the presently disclosed technology improve proximitydetection and location tracking of patients and/or other resources in ahealthcare environment such as a hospital, clinic, surgical center,doctor's office, etc.

In wireless patient monitoring, device(s) on a patient use, by default,frequencies within a pre-defined spectrum (e.g., an industrial,scientific and medical (ISM) radio band such as 2.4-2.48 GHz, etc.) fortransmitting and receiving patient sensor data. While operating in ahealthcare facility, such as a hospital, etc., these devices have accessto a protected frequency spectrum known as a medical body area network(MBAN, such as 2360-2400 MHz, etc.). For example, within the healthcarefacility, an MBAN device can get access to the MBAN spectrum (2.36-2.4GHz) from a Frequency Coordinator regulated by the FederalCommunications Commission (FCC) outside the healthcare facility.However, once the device leaves the healthcare facility, access to thepre-defined, reserved, or “protected” MBAN communication spectrum isdenied.

A body area network is a wireless network of wearable computing devices.An MBAN is a wireless network of wearable computing devices that monitorand/or affect patient health, such as sensors, pumps, meters, monitors,etc. An MBAN is a low power network including a plurality of body-wornsensors that transmit a variety of patient data (e.g., temperature,blood glucose level, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory function,etc.) to a control device. The MBAN eliminates cables tethering thepatient to a bed and provides real-time (or substantially real timegiven data transmission and processing latency) data to healthcarepractitioners. Wireless medical devices can be used to actively monitora patient's health, including blood glucose and pressure monitoring,delivery of electrocardiogram readings, neonatal monitoring, etc. Datacan be gathered for storage, processing, transmission, etc., such as toa control device, patient electronic medical record, display, etc.Connected device(s) can also be used to deliver medical therapy tocertain body area(s), for example.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example MBAN 100 including a plurality of nodes ordevices 110-113 in communication with a hub 120. The hub device 120 canbe a master programmer/control transmitter included in a device close tothe patient. The nodes 110-113 are client transmitters (e.g., bodysensors and/or other medical/monitoring devices) worn by the patient andtransmit information to the hub 120 when in communication with the hub120. The hub 120 transmits data messages to the nodes 110-113 tospecify, for example, a transmit frequency to be used for datacommunication.

For example, 40 MHz of MBAN spectrum (e.g., from 2360-2400 MHz or2.36-2.4 GHz, etc.) can be allocated for MBAN communication. The2360-2390 MHz portion of the band (a secondary or lower portion of theMBAN spectrum) is reserved for indoor use inside healthcare facilities(e.g., with a transmit power of 1 mW measured over 1 MHz bandwidth,etc.) and involves registration with an MBAN frequency coordinator foruse. The 2390-2400 MHz band (a primary or upper portion of the MBANspectrum) does not involve registration and coordination and can be usedin any location (e.g., indoor or outdoor, with a transmit power of 20 mWmeasured over 5 MHz bandwidth, etc.).

Since many devices, medical and otherwise, operate in the 2.4 GHz ISMband, this ISM band (2.4-2.48 GHz) can become quite crowded, resultingin device interference, data loss, etc. Enabling an MBAN device toutilize the lower spectrum (e.g., 2.36-2.4 GHz) as much as possiblewhile within a healthcare facility helps to ease conflicts in the 2.4GHz ISM frequency band and facilitate improved, more accurate, andfaster communications between MBANs and hospital networks.

The hub 120 aggregates patient data from the node devices 110-113 underits control and transmits that information (e.g., via a network, such asa local area network (LAN) and/or other Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.,network associated with the healthcare facility) to a control pointand/or other data storage and/or processing server to monitor andprocess the collected patient data. For example, the monitored data canbe used to trigger an alert for the patient and/or a healthcarepractitioner, adjust a treatment plan, schedule an appointment, etc.,and/or other clinical task.

In certain examples, the control point for the healthcare facilitycoordinates operations for the MBAN 100 (and other MBANs that may be inthe healthcare facility). The control point helps to coordinate MBANoperations in the 2360-2390 MHz frequency band and protect MBANcommunications from interference within that protected/reserved band.The control point also restricts MBAN communication when suchcommunication may interfere with communication from “primary” devices orusers in a healthcare environment (e.g., hospital systems, healthcareproviders, aeronautical mobile telemetry, etc.). In certain examples,the control point receives an electronic key specifying frequency(-ies)for use by the MBAN 100 and its devices. The control point sends acontrol message to the hub 120 to specify authorized frequency(-ies)and/or other operating parameter(s) for the hub 120 and nodes 110-113 inthat MBAN 100.

Certain examples provide systems and associated methods to provideautomatic frequency band selection for wireless patient monitoringdevices depending on their physical location (e.g., either inside oroutside of a healthcare facility, etc.). Certain examples provideautomated and/or other seamless frequency band selection based onmultiple factors. Example factors for automated frequency band selectioninclude location, active band monitoring, coordination, etc.

For example, location can influence frequency selection. If the MBAN 100is within the healthcare facility (e.g., in the hospital, etc.), thendevices in the MBAN 100 can use the ISM plus full MBAN frequency range(e.g., full MBAN range of 2.36-2.4 GHz with reduced outdoor range of2.39-2.4 GHz). However, outside the bounds of the healthcare facility,devices of the MBAN 100 are limited to the ISM plus a reduced MBANfrequency range.

Another example factor is active band monitoring. For example, access tothe MBAN 100 can be based on the detection of wireless implants using afrequency band. The wireless implants have priority usage of thefrequency band, and MBAN 100 devices are to vacate that frequency bandautomatically after detecting the presence of the wireless implants.However, if no competing wireless implants are detected, MBAN 100devices can proceed to use the frequency band.

Another example factor is coordination. For example, a FederalCommunications Commission (FCC)-assigned coordinator in an area sendscontrol messages to nearby hospitals to indicate availability of thefull MBAN spectrum for in-hospital use at a time. Wireless devices deferto reduced frequency bands (ISM) as indicated by these control messages.

Thus, certain examples use these and/or other factors to provideinformation to medical devices, including medical body area networks(MBANs) 100, regarding location in or outside of a healthcare facility,such as a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, etc., based on which thedevices are permitted or not permitted to operate in the MBAN frequencyband (e.g., 2360-2390 MHz).

As described above, MBAN devices can use unlicensed industrial,scientific and medical (ISM) radio band(s) (e.g., 2.4-2.48 GHz) totransmit a patient's physiological and other data between the wearablesensors 110-113 and the hub 120. Other medical and non-medical devices(e.g., laptops, cell phones, monitors, etc.) can also use the frequencyband. Therefore, the data links in the ISM band can be prone to issues(e.g., interference, packet collisions, network congestion, etc.) thatmay significantly degrade the quality of communications. One way toincrease the reliability of the communication is to enable MBANs 100 tooperate in the MBAN frequency band. The MBAN spectrum (e.g., 2360-2400MHz) is provided as a dedicated spectrum to medical devices, and thespectrum should be free of WiFi and other high interferers, whichcommonly operate in the ISM band. The MBAN devices can operate in alower part of the spectrum (e.g., 2360-2390 MHz) on a secondary basis,meaning that their activity in this band is subject to approval from theprimary band user. In certain examples, coordination between the primaryand secondary user is done through a regulatory body called FrequencyCoordinator whose role is to notify the healthcare facility when theprimary user is going to use the MBAN spectrum. In this case, the MBANdevices should cease operations from the MBAN spectrum to accommodatethe primary user.

In addition, in order to use the 2360-2390 MHz band, the MBAN devicesare to be located inside the healthcare facility to help reduce,minimize, or prevent potential interference with the primary spectrumuser. Therefore, the MBAN 100 should have or receive informationrelating to whether or not the MBAN 100 is located inside or outside thehealthcare facility in order to use the MBAN spectrum.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example communication infrastructure of a wirelesspatient monitoring system 200. The example system 200 is illustrated inthe context of a hospital but can be applied to other healthcarefacilities or environments such as clinics, doctor's offices, etc.

The example system 200 includes a beaconing infrastructure 202 incommunication with a plurality of MBANs 210, 220, 230. Each MBAN 210,220, 230 includes a hub 212, 222, 232 and associated sensors 214, 216,224, 226, 234, 236. The hub 212 communicates with a wireless accesspoint (AP) 240. The hubs 222, 232 communicate with a wireless AP 242.The wireless APs 240, 242 facilitate access to a hospital network 250which interacts with a central hospital coordinator 260. The centralcoordinator 260 includes a control point 262 to coordinate messages andcontrol of the MBANs 210, 220, 230 and/or other hardware/software in thesystem 200. In certain examples, the central hospital coordinator 260receives input from an MBAN frequency coordinator 264 to set certainfrequency(-ies) for MBAN communication usage.

As shown in the example of FIG. 2, the central coordinator 260 generatesa MBAN spectrum status message 270 regarding a status of a frequencyspectrum available to the MBAN 210, 220, 230. The status message 270 isprovided to the control point 262, which communicates via the hospitalnetwork 250 to provide a control point control message (CPCM) 272regarding free and/or busy MBAN spectrum (e.g., available MBANcommunication frequency spectrum). The control message 272 can be routedby the APs 240, 242 to the hubs 212, 222, 232. Thus, the hubs 212, 222,232 are made aware of available frequency spectrum for MBANcommunication (or lack/restriction thereof) inside the hospital and/orother healthcare facility.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example beacon configuration inside the hospital(and/or other healthcare facility) 302. As shown in the example of FIG.3A, the MBAN hub 212 (and/or other hub 222, 232, etc.) includes an MBANradio 304, a long range (e.g., WiFi, etc.) radio 306, a camera 308, anda processor 310. The hub 212 receives a signal from beacons 312, 314when the hub 212 is near those beacons 312, 314. As shown in the exampleof FIG. 3A, the hub 212 does not receive a signal from beacon 316 orbeacon 318 because the hub 212 is not within range of those beacons 316,318. The beacons 312-318 can be visible light communication (VLC)beacons, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, radio frequencyidentification (RFID) beacons, near field communication (NFC) beacons,etc.

However, the example of FIG. 3B shows the example hub 212 within rangeof the beacon 316, rather than beacons 312, 314. The MBAN 100 andassociated patient may be moving toward the door and/or other exit fromthe hospital 302 when approaching and/or otherwise near the beacon 316,for example. In certain examples, the hub 212 can determine itsproximity to the beacon 316 (and, therefore, to the exit from thehospital 302) based on a characteristic of the signal from the beacon316 (e.g., received signal strength indicator (RSSI), signalencoding/identifier, etc.).

As shown in the example of FIG. 3C, the hub 212 is within proximaterange of the beacon 318. Since the hub 212 is within range of the beacon318, the hub 212 can be determined to be outside of the hospital 320.

Returning to the example system 200 of FIG. 2, the example system 200enables frequency band switching by the MBAN hubs 212, 222, 232.Information regarding MBAN spectrum availability is obtained from anFCC-designated body (e.g., an MBAN Frequency coordinator). This messageis received by the hospital (e.g., the central coordinator 260). Thecentral coordinator 260 includes a service point (e.g., the controlpoint 262) that periodically broadcasts MBAN status information in acontrol message 272 to all MBAN hubs 212, 222, 232 (e.g., patientmonitors). The control message 272 is transmitted through the existinghospital network infrastructure 240, 242, 250 (e.g., WiFi network,etc.).

If the MBAN spectrum is available for use, then the hub 212, 222, 232determines whether the hub 212, 222, 232 is located within the hospital302 or outside of the hospital 320. If the MBAN spectrum has been madeavailable for use, then the hub 212, 222, 232 can check its position(e.g., in or out of the hospital) to determine whether the hub 212, 22,232 is allowed to utilize the full MBAN spectrum that has been madeavailable. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, one way to provide the patientmonitors (e.g., hubs 212, 222, 232) with location information is usingstrategically placed beacon devices 312-316 throughout the hospital(e.g., forming part of the beaconing infrastructure 202, etc.), as wellas outside 318 the hospital 320. For example, the beacon device 312-318can emit a periodic signal at a certain frequency channel in the ISMband, which is known by all hubs 212, 222, 232. A hub 212, 222, 232 cansporadically/periodically listen for an infrastructure beacon 312-316 onthis channel when the channel is not occupied with handling patient andcontrol data. If the hub 212, 222, 232 receives the infrastructurebeacon, the hub 212, 222, 232 concludes that it is in the hospital 302.In addition, to reduce occurrence of checking for the infrastructurebeacon signal, checking for the infrastructure beacon 312-316 can becoupled with hub 212, 222, 232 motion information. For example,accelerometer information (e.g., which can be either on the hub 212,222, 232 or on the patient's body) is available. For example, if the hub212, 222, 232 receives the infrastructure beacon signal and the hub 212,222, 232 does not move after that, then the hub 212, 222, 232 assumesthat the hub's position remains the same during the non-motion period.

Alternatively or in addition, location information can be obtained bythe hub 212, 222, 232 by broadcasting a location request to the beaconlocation infrastructure 202. If the hub's location request is receivedby the location beacon 312-318, the location beacon 312-318 should replywith a short message to the hub 212, 222, 232 indicating its presence.The message from the location beacon 312-318 can be sent after a short,random delay to avoid a situation in which messages from differentbeacons 312-318 are sent at the same time. Messages sent simultaneouslyor substantially simultaneously can collide, resulting in the locationinformation not being received by the hub 212, 222, 232. If the hub 212,222, 232 receives more than one location beacon message, the hub 212,222, 232 can assume that it is in proximity of the location beacon312-318 whose message has the strongest signal. In certain examples, theMBAN hub 212, 222, 232 is a battery-powered device that can requestlocation information when necessary or desired, rather than periodicallylistening and waiting to receive the location message.

Another way of checking whether the patient (and, by extension, the hub212, 222, 232) moves is by monitoring change in signal strength (RSSI)between the on-body sensors 214, 216, 224, 226, 234, 236 and theassociated hub 212, 222, 232. If the signal strength varies rapidly overtime, the hub 212, 222, 232 can conclude that the patient is moving, forexample. If the hub 212 and its sensors 214, 216 move past the beacon316 into range of the beacon 318, for example, the hub 212 can concludethat the patient and his/her MBAN 210 are now outside the hospital 320.

Another implementation of infrastructure-based beaconing involves acombination of two or more beaconing methods/systems to provideincreased location accuracy with respect to being either inside oroutside the hospital. If a device 212, 222, 232 uses only WiFi-basedlocation services, the device 212, 222, 232 may still be able to receiveWiFi signals, such as the CPCM 272, outside of the hospital, where thehub device 212, 222, 232 is unable to use the MBAN-dedicated spectrum.The device 212, 222, 232 may not switch to ISM-only frequencies if itcan still receive the CPCM 272. Using the beacon 318 and/or otherpositioning service that is strategically placed at only entrance(s)and/or exit(s), the location of the device 212, 222, 232 can bedetermined. A combination of the two (or more) positioning services canthen provide sufficient information to allow the device 212, 222, 232 toknow whether it is inside or outside the hospital structure.

An example of an additional positioning system is radio frequencyidentification (RFID). If the device 212, 222, 232 is carried outsidethe hospital but is still able to receive CPCM messages 272, passingthrough the exit (with an RFID scan) can trigger an algorithm to beginactively monitoring the signal strength of the received CPCM messages272. In such examples, the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232 can have an RFID tagattached to the hub 212, 222, 232 with RFID readers installed athospital exits/entrances. When the hub 212, 222, 232 passes through thehospital entrance, the RFID reader reads the RFID tag. The RFID readersends this information to the central hospital coordinator 260.Information indicating that the hub 212, 222, 232 has passed through ahospital door can be relayed to the hub 212, 222, 232 in the next CPCMmessage 272. When the hub 212, 222, 232 receives this information, thehub 212, 222, 232 can start measuring the received signal strength (RSS)of several consecutive CPCM messages 272. If the RSS decreases overthese CPCM messages 272, the hub 212, 222, 232 can conclude that it ismoving away from the hospital, for example.

If the signal strength is determined to be decreasing (as the device212, 222, 232 is carried further away from the hospital), it can beempirically determined that the device 212, 222, 232 is outside 320 andis not allowed to use MBAN-dedicated spectrum. Conversely, if the device212, 222, 232 re-enters the hospital 302 and observes an increase insignal strength after the RFID system triggers the algorithm, it isdetermined that the device 212, 222, 232 is inside the hospital 302, andis able to use MBAN-dedicated spectrum, for example.

Another system and method to detect position of the MBAN 210, 220, 230is by using Service Set Identification (SSID) of the WiFi Access Points(AP) 240, 242. For example, the AP 240, 242 that are placed close tohospital entrance(s) can be associated with a different SSID (labeled as“door”, for example) than AP 240, 242 placed more internal to thehospital. The WiFi radio 306 on the hub 212 performs a spectrum scan todetect all APs 240, 242 in its vicinity. The scanning operation providesa list of detected APs 240, 242, their SSIDs, and received signalstrength (RSS) from each AP 240, 242, for example. The hub 212 can useSSID information to determine whether or not the hub 212 is inside oroutside the bounds of the hospital and/or other healthcare facility. Incertain examples, the SSID information can be used by the hub 212 todecide whether it is in or out of the facility. For example, if the hub212 roams to the AP 240, 242 with a strategically selected SSID thatindicates the vicinity of a hospital entrance/exit (e.g., a door), theSSID can be interpreted by the hub 212 as being outside 320 of thehospital.

In certain examples, a location of the hub 212 within 302 or outside 320a healthcare facility can be determined using a light sensor (e.g., aphoto transistor, photodiode, camera 308, etc.) on the hub 212. Thebeacon infrastructure 202 units 312-318 can include infrared emitterand/or visible light fixtures that emit at least a single code that canbe received and decoded by the light sensor on the hub 212.

In certain examples, a location of the hub 212 within 302 or outside 320a healthcare facility can be determined using the camera 308 on the hub212. The infrastructure 202 beacon units 312-318 can include a visiblelight source such as light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures, etc.,that can be modulated by a high frequency visible light code that isinvisible for a human eye. The camera 308 can read this code to detectits presence within the hospital 302, for example.

Alternatively or in addition, RFID and/or NFC sensors deployed athospital entrance(s) and/or exit(s) can detect MBAN hub 212, 222, 232position (e.g., inside 302 the hospital versus outside 320 the hospital,etc.). In certain examples, such sensors can identify position of thehub 212, 222, 232 in a particular ward or wing within a hospital, etc.

Example Beaconing Infrastructure

The example beaconing infrastructure 202 including beacons 312-318 canbe implemented using one or more beacon tags affixed to assets withinthe healthcare environment that transmit (e.g., periodically,aperiodically and/or as a one-time event) beacon messages. The beaconmessages are received by a mobile reader badge, such as the MBAN hub212, 222, 232 that listens for beacon messages transmitted in theenvironment. For example, disclosed example reader badges (sometimesreferred to herein as “readers,” “badges” or “mobile wireless bridges”)may include a network interface to receive beacon messages transmittedvia low power Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and/or other low-power,short-range radio frequency wireless communication. In some disclosedexamples, the reader badges process the received beacon messages andcommunicate information obtained from the beacon messages to one or morereal-time location services (RTLS) servers via a communicationinfrastructure. For example, disclosed example reader badges mayaggregate and communicate a batch of beacon messages (e.g., a thresholdnumber of beacon messages, a threshold interval of time (e.g., a windowof interest), etc.) to an RTLS server via a WiFi infrastructure (e.g., awireless network). In some disclosed examples, the RTLS server processesthe received batch of beacon messages to facilitate real-time locationtracking of the resources in the environment. In some disclosedexamples, the RTLS server may report the location of resources viacharts, graphs, tables, etc.

In certain examples, real-time location services enable improved patientworkflow via proximity detection and location tracking in a healthcareenvironment, such as a hospital. Location tracking can be used to locateresources such as mobile assets (e.g., patients and/or their MBANs 210,220, 230, intravenous (IV) pumps, telemetry units, wheelchairs, etc.)within the hospital.

Example systems and methods disclosed herein facilitate improvedproximity detection and location tracking by creating a hospitaltracking network within the hospital using the communicationinfrastructure already installed in the hospital. For example, beacontags are installed throughout a location or building. Beacon tags can beaffixed to stationary assets (e.g., patient room entry ways, sinks,water fountains, hallways, etc.), for example. Beacon tags are low-cost,low-power transmitters of beacon messages. A beacon message (sometimesreferred to herein as a “beacon”) includes information about the beacontag such as a unique identifier (e.g., a tag identifier such as a mediaaccess control (MAC) address), etc. In some disclosed examples, thebeacon tags broadcast (e.g., advertise, communicate, transmit, etc.)beacon messages at pre-set frequencies (e.g., ten times a second, once asecond, once a minute, etc.). For example, a beacon tag affixed to afixed-location asset (e.g., a sink, a doorway, etc.) may broadcastbeacon messages ten times a second.

A reader badge or hub 212, 222, 232 is a mobile wireless bridge thatfacilitates mobile tracking by “listening” and receiving beacon messagesbroadcast by beacon tags. The wireless radio 306 and/or other radio 304,processor 310, etc., of the hub 212 can include and/or implement, forexample, a low-power, short-range radio frequency wireless controller toreceive connection-less beacon messages broadcast by beacon tags. Thereader badge hub 212, 222, 232 may be worn or transported by hospitalcaregivers. For example, a reader badge hub 212, 222, 232 may be worn asa lanyard or clipped to the caregiver's clothing. As the caregiver movesabout the hospital, the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232 passivelycollects beacon messages and communicates reader messages to an RTLSserver at the backend of the system (e.g., part of the infrastructure202, the control point 262, coordinator 260, etc.). In some examples,the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232 collects a number (e.g., apredetermined number) of beacon messages or waits a period (e.g., apredetermined period of time) prior to communicating the readermessages. In some examples, the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232 generatesand communicates a reader message as a beacon message from a beacon tagis received. A reader message includes information received from thebeacon message such as a unique identifier of the source beacon tag anda spatial location of the source beacon tag. In some examples, thereader badge hub 212, 222, 232 includes a timestamp identifying when thebeacon message was received by the hub 212, 222, 232 in the readermessage. In some examples, the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232 includes areceived signal strength indication (RSSI) value (e.g., a power ratio indecibels of the measured power to one milli-watt (dBm)).

Example hubs 212, 222, 232 utilize the processor 310 configured as aproximity engine to process the beacon messages and determine distancefrom the source (e.g., the beacon tag that broadcast the correspondingbeacon message). The hub 212, 222, 232 can then determine whether it isinside 302 or outside 320 the healthcare facility and, as a result,which frequency(-ies) are available for MBAN 210, 220, 230 use, forexample.

As the patient moves about the hospital, for example, the hub 212, 222,232 may receive beacon messages from each of the beacon tags. Theproximity engine of the processor 310 can determine the RSSI strengthfor each of the beacon messages and associate RSSI strength with arespective beacon tag.

In some examples, the proximity engine implemented by the processor 310determines which beacon tags are proximate (e.g., near or closelylocated) to the hub 212, 222, 232. For example, the proximity engine cancompare the RSSI strength of a beacon message to a threshold and if theRSSI strength satisfies the threshold (e.g., the RSSI strength isgreater than a threshold), the proximity engine identifies the sourcebeacon tag as proximate to the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232. In someexamples, the proximity engine discards beacon messages that are notproximate to the reader badge hub 212, 222, 232.

Example Methods for MBAN Control

The foregoing systems and methods can be deployed to provide real-timelocation services. Real-time location services (RTLS) facilitatetracking people and assets in a healthcare setting, such as a hospital.FIG. 4 illustrates an example data flow 400 between the control point262, MBAN hub 212, and beacons 314, 316, 318.

At 402, a configuration message 272 is sent from the control point 262to the hub 212. For example, the control point 262 provides anindication to the hub 212 allowing the hub 212 to use the full frequencyspectrum of 2360-2400 MHz in the hospital 302 to communicate withsensors 214, 216, AP 240, hospital network 250, etc.

At 404, the hub 212 receives a first beacon signal from the beacon 314.In certain examples, the first beacon signal includes an indication ofthe beacon 314 and/or an associated signal strength, etc. At 406, thehub 212 determines its location. The signal identifies the beacon 314,for example, and alerts the hub 212 that the hub 212 is within range ofthe beacon 314. The hub 212 can determine its location with respect tothe hospital (e.g., inside 302 or outside 320 the hospital, etc.) basedon beacon 314 identifier, received signal strength, etc.

At 408, the hub 212 receives a second beacon signal from the beacon 316.In certain examples, the second beacon signal includes an indication ofthe beacon 316 and/or an associated signal strength, etc. At 410, thehub 212 determines its location. The signal identifies the beacon 316,for example, and alerts the hub 212 that the hub 212 is within range ofthe beacon 316. For example, the hub 212 has now moved from near beacon314 to near beacon 316 but is still within the hospital 302. The hub 212can determine its location with respect to the hospital (e.g., inside302 or outside 320 the hospital, etc.) based on beacon 316 identifier,received signal strength, etc.

At 412, the hub 212 notifies the control point 262 of the change inlocation. At 414, the control point 262 provides an updatedconfiguration message 272 to the hub 212. For example, the control point262 provides an indication to the hub 212 allowing the hub 212 to usethe full frequency spectrum of 2360-2400 MHz in the hospital 302 tocommunicate with sensors 214, 216, AP 240, hospital network 250, etc.

At 416, the hub 212 receives a third beacon signal from the beacon 318.In certain examples, the third beacon signal includes an indication ofthe beacon 318 and/or an associated signal strength, etc. At 418, thehub 212 determines its location. The signal identifies the beacon 318,for example, and alerts the hub 212 that the hub 212 is within range ofthe beacon 318. For example, the hub 212 has now moved from near beacon316 to near beacon 318 and is now outside the hospital 320. The hub 212can determine its location with respect to the hospital (e.g., inside302 or outside 320 the hospital, etc.) based on beacon 318 identifier,received signal strength, etc.

At 420, the hub 212 notifies the control point 262 of the change inlocation. For example, the hub 212 is now outside 320 rather than inside302 the hospital. At 422, the control point 262 provides an updatedconfiguration message 272 to the hub 212. For example, the control point262 provides an indication to the hub 212 that the hub 212 is nowrestricted to the primary 2390-2400 MHz (2.39-2.4 GHz) frequency bandsince the hub 212 is outside the hospital 320.

Thus, in certain examples, the hub 212 interacts with the control point262 and beacons 314-318 to utilize available frequency spectrum forcommunication with sensors 214, 216 and/or other hospital systems basedon a dynamic, real-time (or substantially real-time given processing,storage, and/or data transmission latency) determination of locationinside or outside a healthcare facility. However, since the controlpoint 262 may only periodically broadcast CPCM control messages, the hub212 can independently decide whether the hub 212 is inside 302 oroutside 320 the hospital and/or other healthcare facility based onlocational information with respect to beacons 312, 314, 316, 318 todetermine whether the hub 212 can or cannot use the MBAN (e.g.,2360-2390 MHz) spectrum.

Certain examples provide a technical improvement to innovate aroundlimitations placed on available bandwidth and data usage among aplurality of competing devices in a variety of locations. Certainexamples create a new, innovative MBAN configuration and interactionbetween control point 262, hub(s) 212, 222, 232, beacons 312, 314, 316,318, etc., to determine location and authorization for certain frequencydata communication distinct from prior MBAN frequency usage.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 500 for MBANcommunication. The example method 500 provides a high-level overviewthat is expanded in particular examples of FIGS. 6-10. MBANs 210, 220,230 can use all or part of the MBAN spectrum based on availability,location, and/or other input, etc.

At block 502, available input is processed. One or more pieces of inputinformation can be processed by the hub 212, 222, 232 to help determineMBAN 210, 220, 230 position/location information. For example, a controlmessage (e.g., CPCM 272 from control point 262), location information(e.g., from RFID, beacon 312-318, etc.), and/or other MBAN 210, 220, 230input, if available, can be processed by the hub 212, 222, 232.

If a control message is available, for example, then the control messageis processed and/or otherwise evaluated. For example, if the CPCM 272 ispresent, the message 272 can indicate whether or not the MBAN spectrumis granted for use. If the control message indicates that the MBANspectrum is not granted for use, then the process 500 ends. If thecontrol message indicates that the MBAN spectrum is granted for use,then the process 500 continues to determine if the location of the hub212, 222, 232 qualifies for use of the full MBAN spectrum or onlypartial spectrum. If a control message is not available and/or otherwisenot applicable, then other input such as input with respect to thebeaconing infrastructure 202, RFID, etc., can be processed by the hub212, 222, 232

At block 504, position is determined based on the processed input. Forexample, position can be determined with reference to the beaconinginfrastructure 202, etc. Position can be determined based on RFID,received signal strength, and/or other indication and/or measurement,for example. For example, the hub 212, 222, 232 can identify itslocation inside or outside the hospital based on the RFID indicationreceived by the wireless radio 304 and/or MBAN radio 306. Other beacon312-318 information can be received by radio(s) 304 and/or 306 and usedby the hub 212, 222, 232, alone or in combination (e.g., to triangulatebetween two inputs and the MBAN 210, 220, 230, etc.), to determinewhether the MBAN 210, 220, 230 is inside 302 or outside 320 thehospital, for example.

At block 506, based on the determined position, an available frequencyspectrum is determined. For example, based on location (e.g., inside thehospital or outside the hospital), an ability to use a full (e.g.,2630-2400 MHz) or reduced (e.g., 2690-2400 MHz) MBAN spectrum isdetermined. The presence and content of a control message 272 can alsoindicate whether or not MBAN spectrum is available to be used. Incertain examples the CPCM 272 indicating that the MBAN spectrum isavailable for use, pending MBAN 210, 220, 230 location, is aprerequisite for a location determination by the hub 212, 222, 232. Atblock 508, data communication is facilitated via the allowed spectrum.For example, status information, monitoring information, vitals,exercise data, etc., can be broadcast from the hub 212, 222, 232 via theallowed portion (e.g., full, reduced, etc.) of the MBAN spectrum.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example implementation providing further detailregarding blocks 502, 504, and 506 of the example method 500 of FIG. 5.In the example of FIG. 6, control messages, MBAN spectrum availability,and location beacon information are used to determine allowed usage ofthe MBAN spectrum. As shown in the example implementation of FIG. 6, atblock 602, the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232 evaluates to determine whether ithas received a CPCM 272. If a CPCM 272 has been received, then, at block604, the message 272 is evaluated to determine whether the MBAN spectrumis available for use? For example, the CPCM 272 includes an indicationof whether the full MBAN spectrum is available for use, is unavailable,is restricted, etc.

If the full MBAN spectrum (e.g., 2360-2400 MHz) is available for use,then, at block 606, the hub 212, 222, 232 checks signal(s) from one ormore nearby beacons 312-318 to determine an updated location. Theupdated location is evaluated at block 606 to determine whether the hub212, 22, 232 is inside or outside the hospital. If the hub 212, 222, 232is inside the hospital, then, at block 608, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 canuse the MBAN spectrum (2360-2900 MHz). However, if the hub 212, 222, 232is outside the hospital (or the MBAN spectrum is not available for useat block 604 or the CPCM 272 is not received at block 602, etc.), then,at block 610, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 cannot use the full MBAN spectrumfor communication.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example implementation providing furtherdetail regarding blocks 502, 504 of the example of FIG. 5. In theexample of FIG. 7, control messages and beacon information are used todetermine allowed usage of the MBAN spectrum. At block 702, the CPCM 272is received at the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232. For example, the CPCM 272 isreceived by the hub 212, 222, 232 via the WiFi access point 240. TheCPCM 272 indicates whether the MBAN spectrum is available for use ornot, for example. If the MBAN spectrum is available, then the hub 212,222, 232 stores information regarding the control message 272 and looksfor a location beacon to determine whether or not the MBAN 210, 222, 232is 302 or outside 320 the hospital. At block 704, a received signalstrength (RSS) associated with the CPCM 272 is stored.

At block 706, the hub 212, 222, 232 looks for an RFID tag within rangeof the hub 212, 222, 232 to be read. If no RFID tag is within range,then control reverts to block 702 to await another control message. Ifan RFID is detected, then, at block 708, a message processing loopbegins, with a counter, i, set to 1. At block 710, another CPCM 272 isreceived. At block 712, an RSS associated with the received CPCM 272 isstored at the hub 212, 222, 232.

At block 714, a difference between consecutive CPCM 272 RSS measurementsis computed. For example, the prior RSS value is subtracted from thecurrent RSS value. Then, at block 716, the counter, i, is incremented byone. At block 718, the counter is compared to a threshold, X. If thecounter, i, is not equal to the threshold, X, then control reverts toblock 710 to receive a next control message 272.

However, if the counter has reached the count threshold, then theprocess advances to block 720, at which the RSS difference values areanalyzed. A value, T, represents RSS difference values (e.g., differencebetween consecutive RSS measurements, etc.) that are less than 0. Atblock 722, the value, T, is compared to a T threshold. If T is greaterthan the T threshold, then, at block 724, the hub 212, 222, 232 isdetermined to be outside the hospital 320. The reduced MBAN spectrum canthen be utilized by the hub 212, 222, 232, etc. If T is less than the Tthreshold, then, at block 726, the hub 212, 222, 232 is determined to beinside the hospital 302. The full MBAN spectrum can then be utilized bythe hub 212, 222, 232, etc.

Thus, as described with respect to the example of FIG. 7, the hub 212,222, 232 can analyze incoming control messages 272 to determine whetheror not the full MBAN spectrum is available. If so, the hub 212, 222, 232compares location information and message signal strength to determinewhether or not the hub 212, 222, 232 is inside or outside the hospital.The hub 212, 222, 232 only receives control messages 2727 within thehospital (e.g., APs 240, 242 broadcast the CPCMs 272 within thehospital, etc.), not outside. Reading an RFID on a device indicates thatthe hub 212, 222, 232 has been moving outside or inside the hospital.Thus, the RFID tag detection is a trigger to evaluate CPCM messages 272and process a trend of message 272 signal strength. If the RSS isgetting weaker, then the hub 212, 222, 232 is moving away from a sourceof the CPCM messages 272 (e.g., the access point 240, 242, etc.). If theRSS is getting stronger, then the hub 212, 222, 232 is moving toward asource of the CPCM messages 272, for example.

FIG. 8 illustrates another example implementation providing furtherdetail regarding block 504 of the example of FIG. 5. In the example ofFIG. 8, MBAN and beacon information are used to determine a location(and/or change in location) of the MBAN 210, 220, 230. As shown in theexample of FIG. 8, the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232 can check its locationinformation based on whether the hub 212, 222, 232 detected a change ofposition (e.g., using accelerometer(s), etc.). If the hub 212, 222, 232has not moved, the hub 212, 222, 232 can still query locationinformation. If the hub 212, 222, 232 does not have locationinformation, the hub 212, 222, 232 can request location information fromthe beacon infrastructure 202 and/or wait for a period of time toreceive a location message from a location beacon 312-319, for example.

At block 802, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 is evaluated to determine (e.g.,using an accelerometer, global positioning system, beacon 312-318triangulation, etc.) whether the MBAN 210, 220, 230 has moved more thana threshold amount over a period of time, T. For example, anaccelerometer in the hub 212, 222, 232 works with the processor 310 todetermine whether the hub 212, 222, 232 has moved more than a few feetover the last 5 minutes, etc. As another example, the processor 310 maycommunicate (e.g., via radio(s) 304, 306, etc.) with a fitness tracker,etc., to determine whether MBAN 210, 220, 230 has moved more than a fewfeet over the last 10 minutes, etc.

If the MBAN 210, 220, 230 has not moved “significantly” (e.g., more thanthe threshold distance), then, at block 804, the MBAN 210, 220, 230(e.g., the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232) determines whether it has locationinformation. For example, has the hub 212, 222, 232 received beacon312-318 information, CPCM message 272, RFID, and/or other locationinformation. If the MBAN 210, 220, 230 “knows” its location, then, atblock 806, the MBAN keeps its location information unchanged.

However, if the MBAN 210, 220, 230 does not have current locationinformation, then, at block 808, the hub 212, 222, 232 sends a requestmessage to the location beacon infrastructure 202. Thus, the hub 212,222, 232 can broadcast a short message asking for a location responseand/or enter a listening mode to listen for a ping from a beacon 312-318within range of the MBAN 210, 220, 230, for example.

At block 810, the hub 212, 222, 232 evaluates whether the MBAN 210, 220,230 has received a location beacon in response to the request message,listening mode, etc. If the MBAN hub 212, 222, 232 has received alocation beacon, then, at block 812, the hub 212, 222, 232 updates theMBAN 210, 220, 230 location information with information from thelocation beacon. For example, location can be based on the locationbeacon alone and/or a combination of multiple location beacons (e.g., totriangulate MBAN 210, 220, 230 location, etc.), taken alone or incombination with a CPCM message 272, etc.

If the MBAN 210, 220, 230 does not receive a location beacon, then, atblock 814, the hub 212, 222, 232 changes its location to unknown andreverts to block 808 to send another request message and/or await abeacon 312-318 signal.

Thus, for example, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 may be battery-powered and canconserve power by not always being “on” or active. If the hub 212, 222,232 were constantly searching for location information, the MBAN 210,220, 230 would waste power (e.g., because receiving data packets is apower intensive operation, etc.). Using the example process of FIG. 8,the hub 212, 222, 232 can periodically check whether the MBAN 210, 220,230 has moved and can then undertake a more power-intensive evaluationof current location if the MBAN 210, 220, 230 has moved more than athreshold distance (e.g., enough to likely trigger a meaningful changein location such as inside vs. outside the hospital, etc.).

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 900 to controlfrequency band operation of a medical body area network (MBAN). Theexample method 900 is a particular implementation of the more generalprocess 500 of FIG. 5. At block 902, an MBAN 210, 220, 230 receives acontrol message 272. The example control message 272 includes anindication of allowed frequency(-ies) for communication by the MBAN 210,220, 230 and configures the corresponding hub 212, 222, 232 for datacommunication based on the allowed frequency(-ies), for example.

For example, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 may be configured for communicationat a frequency between 2.36-2.4 GHz depending on the location of theMBAN 210, 220, 230 device(s) with respect to a healthcare facility(e.g., inside 302 or outside 320 the healthcare facility, competingdevice traffic, other communication restriction, etc.). For example, ifthe MBAN 210, 220, 230 is inside 302 the healthcare facility, the fullMBAN frequency range (e.g., 2360-2400 MHz, etc.) can be made availableto the MBAN 210, 220, 230 based on the control message 272 sent to theMBAN 210, 220, 230. However, if the control point 262 is aware ofconflicting device data traffic and/or the MBAN 210, 220, 230 is locatedoutside 320 the healthcare facility, then the control message 272 canprescribe only the upper portion (e.g., 2390-2400 MHz, etc.) of thefrequency spectrum for use by the MBAN 210, 220, 230.

At block 904, a beacon signal is received from a beacon (e.g., beacon312-316, etc.) by the MBAN 210, 220, 230. For example, as shown in FIG.3A, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 may be near beacon 312 and/or 314, receivingbeacon signals from nearby beacons 312 and/or 314. Alternatively, asshown in the example of FIG. 3B, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 may be nearbeacon 316 and receiving a signal from that beacon 316. As anotheralternative, shown in the example of FIG. 3C, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 maybe near beacon 318 and receiving a signal from the beacon 318.

At block 906, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 determines its location withrespect to the healthcare facility. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A,based on a proximity to beacons 312 and/or 314, the MBAN 210, 220, 230determines that it is inside 302 the healthcare facility. Similarly, asshown in the example of FIG. 3B, based on a proximity to beacon 316, theMBAN 210, 220, 230 determines that it is inside 302 the healthcarefacility. However, as shown in the example of FIG. 3C, based on aproximity to beacon 318, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 determines that it isoutside 320 the healthcare facility. In certain examples, proximity tothe beacon 312, 314, 316, 318 can be inferred from the signal strengthof the received beacon signal. For example, if the received signalstrength falls below a certain threshold, then the MBAN 210, 220, 230assumes that it is out of range of the associated beacon 312, 314, 316,318. If the MBAN 210, 220, 230 receives or “hears” several beacons 312,314, 316, 318, then the MBAN 210, 220, 230 can assume its position basedon the strongest received beacon signal, for example.

At block 908, the location is evaluated with respect to a prior locationdetermination to identify whether the MBAN 210, 220, 230 has moved. Forexample, the location proximate to beacons 312 and 314 in the example ofFIG. 3A is compared to a prior location determination for the MBAN 210,220, 230 to determine whether the locations match.

If the location of the MBAN 210, 220, 230 has changed from the priorlocation determination, then, at block 910, an updated location is sentto the control point 262. Control then reverts to block 902 for a newcontrol message from the control point 262. In some examples, the MBAN210, 220, 230 can adjust its allocated frequency usage without waitingfor a control message 272 from the control point 262.

If the location has not changed (e.g., within a certain range ortolerance of location, etc.), then, at block 912, the MBAN 210, 220, 230monitors traffic on its configured frequency(-ies). For example, theMBAN hub 212, 222, 232 periodically scans one or more assignedfrequency(-ies) to determine whether data traffic from other devices isoccupying that frequency band.

At block 914, location, frequency, and/or other input are analyzed todetermine whether the MBAN 210, 220, 230 is in the hospital andfrequency(-ies) are available to be used. If so, then, at block 916, theMBAN 210, 220, 230 can use the full MBAN spectrum (e.g., 2360-2400 MHz,etc.). If not, then, at block 918, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 is restrictedto the upper MBAN frequency spectrum (e.g., 2390-2400 MHz, etc.).

At block 920, the MBAN 210, 220, 230 awaits further input (e.g., acontrol message, beacon signal, etc.). Control then returns to block 902to receive another control message 272 from the control point 262 or toblock 904 to receive a beacon signal from one or more beacons 312-318.

FIG. 10 illustrates a flow diagram providing further example detailregarding location determination at block 906 in the flow diagram 900 ofthe example of FIG. 9. In the example of FIG. 10, at block 1002, alocation determination is triggered. For example, the hub 212 receives acontrol message 272 from the control point 262, an accelerometer on thehub 212 and/or connected to the hub 212 detects movement, and/or otherstimulus at the hub 212 initiates the location determination.

At block 1004, one or more available input(s) are analyzed. For example,at block 1006, a beacon signal is received from one or more beacons312-318 can be received with an associated identification, signalstrength, etc. As another example, at block 1008, a control message 272can be periodically sent to the hub 212 with location information,associated signal strength, etc. At block 1010, light and/or othervisual information can be detected by the hub 212 (e.g., using thecamera 308, etc.). A certain intensity, modulation, etc., of light caninform the hub 212 regarding its location (e.g., inside the hospital302, outside the hospital 320, etc.). At block 1012, an identifier(e.g., an access point SSID, etc.) can be received and used by the hub212 (e.g., via the wireless radio 306, etc.) to identify the AP 240, 242and its associated signal strength, etc.

At block 1014, the location of the hub 212 (and its MBAN) is evaluated.For example, based on the beacon signal 1006, control message 1008,light 1010, and/or identifier 1012, the hub 212 (e.g., using itsprocessor 310, etc.) determines its location (e.g., inside 302 thehospital, outside 320 the hospital, in a certain hospital department,near an entrance/exit, entering/leaving, etc.). For example, anidentifier and/or associated signal strength in the beacon signal,control message 272, SSID, etc., can be used by the processor 310 of thehub 212 to evaluate location such as based on beacon 312-318relationships, prior information regarding beacon 312-318 and/or otherasset (e.g., RFID, etc.) positioning, etc. For example, the hub 212 mayknow that beacons 312 and 314 are well within the hospital, while beacon316 is near the door and beacon 318 is outside. An identification of thebeacon 312-318 provides a beacon location, and an RSSI of the receivedsignal allows the hub 212 to determine the proximity of the MBAN 210,220, 230 to that beacon location, for example.

If other input(s) (block 1004) remain to be analyzed, the hub 212further evaluates its location (block 1014) based on a combination ofbeacon signal 1006, control message 1008, light 1010, and/or identifier1012, for example. Thus, at block 1014, the hub 212 can evaluate aplurality of factors (e.g., light in combination with beacon signal,control message in combination with RFID, control message signalstrength in combination with beacon identifier, etc.) for a moreaccurate and/or more precise determination of MBAN 210, 220, 230location with respect to the healthcare facility.

When no input remains to be processed (block 1004), at block 1016, achange in location is determined. For example, the determined location(block 1014) is compared to a prior (e.g., previously determined)location for the MBAN 210, 220, 230 to determine whether the locationsmatch or are different. For example, locations can be compared based onproximity to certain beacon(s) 312-318 (e.g., based on identificationand signal strength, combination of multiple IDs, etc.), receipt ofcertain message(s) and/or identifier(s), measurement of certain lightfrequency and/or intensity, etc., to compare the two locationdeterminations. Location comparison can be made with a certaintolerance, margin for error, standard deviation, etc., such that anapproximate location match is treated as the same location (e.g., if theMBAN 210, 220, 230 has moved a few feet, stayed within the samedepartment, is still between the same beacons 312, 314, etc., the MBAN210, 220, 230 is considered to be in the same location (e.g., thelocation determinations match)). A match or change in location can beprovided to block 908. Control reverts to block 908 to act on theevaluation of whether or not the MBAN location has changed.

Thus, certain examples provide improved, automated, dynamic frequencyswitching for MBAN operation in and out of a healthcare facility.Certain examples provide technologically improved operation to helpmaximize or otherwise improve usage of available bandwidth for MBANdevices while also reducing or minimizing conflicts with other medicaldevices using overlapping frequency(-ies) range(s). Certain examplesprovide a technological benefit in medical device monitoring andcommunications by improving performance of a wireless ambulatorymonitoring system by allowing for more intelligent and proactivefrequency band selection and hopping.

One skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the inventionmay be interfaced to and controlled by a computer readable storagemedium having stored thereon a computer program. The computer readablestorage medium includes a plurality of components such as one or more ofelectronic components, hardware components, and/or computer softwarecomponents. These components may include one or more computer readablestorage media that generally stores instructions such as software,firmware and/or assembly language for performing one or more portions ofone or more implementations or embodiments of a sequence. These computerreadable storage media are generally non-transitory and/or tangible.Examples of such a computer readable storage medium include a recordabledata storage medium of a computer and/or storage device. The computerreadable storage media may employ, for example, one or more of amagnetic, electrical, optical, biological, and/or atomic data storagemedium. Further, such media may take the form of, for example, floppydisks, magnetic tapes, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disk drives, and/orelectronic memory. Other forms of non-transitory and/or tangiblecomputer readable storage media not list may be employed withembodiments of the invention.

A number of such components can be combined or divided in animplementation of a system. Further, such components may include a setand/or series of computer instructions written in or implemented withany of a number of programming languages, as will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art. In addition, other forms of computer readablemedia such as a carrier wave may be employed to embody a computer datasignal representing a sequence of instructions that when executed by oneor more computers causes the one or more computers to perform one ormore portions of one or more implementations or embodiments of asequence.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 1100 thatcan execute instructions to implement the example systems and methods ofFIGS. 1-10. The processor platform 1100 can be, for example, a server, apersonal computer, a mobile device (e.g., a cell phone, a smart phone, atablet such as an IPAD™), a personal digital assistant (PDA), anInternet appliance, or any other type of computing device.

The processor platform 1100 of the illustrated example includes aprocessor 1112. Processor 1112 of the illustrated example is hardware.For example, processor 1112 can be implemented by one or more integratedcircuits, logic circuits, microprocessors or controllers from anydesired family or manufacturer.

Processor 1112 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 1113(e.g., a cache). Processor 1112 of the illustrated example is incommunication with a main memory including a volatile memory 1114 and anon-volatile memory 1116 via a bus 1118. Volatile memory 1114 can beimplemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), DynamicRandom Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM)and/or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatilememory 1116 can be implemented by flash memory and/or any other desiredtype of memory device. Access to main memory 1114, 1116 is controlled bya memory controller. The processor 1112, alone or in conjunction withthe memory 1113, can be used to implement the MBAN hub 212 including itsradios 304, 306, camera 308, processor 310, and/or other part of thesystems disclosed herein.

Processor platform 1100 of the illustrated example also includes aninterface circuit 1120. Interface circuit 1120 can be implemented by anytype of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universalserial bus (USB), and/or a PCI express interface.

In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 1122 are connectedto the interface circuit 1120. Input device(s) 1122 permit(s) a user toenter data and commands into processor 1112. The input device(s) 1122can be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, acamera (still or video), a keyboard, a button, a mouse, a touchscreen, atrack-pad, a trackball, isopoint and/or a voice recognition system.

One or more output devices 1124 are also connected to interface circuit1120 of the illustrated example. Output devices 1124 can be implemented,for example, by display devices (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), anorganic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display, a cathoderay tube display (CRT), a touchscreen, a tactile output device, a lightemitting diode (LED), a printer and/or speakers). Interface circuit 1120of the illustrated example, thus, typically includes a graphics drivercard, a graphics driver chip or a graphics driver processor.

Interface circuit 1120 of the illustrated example also includes acommunication device such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, amodem and/or network interface card to facilitate exchange of data withexternal machines (e.g., computing devices of any kind) via a network1126 (e.g., an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL), atelephone line, coaxial cable, a cellular telephone system, etc.).

Processor platform 1100 of the illustrated example also includes one ormore mass storage devices 1128 for storing software and/or data.Examples of such mass storage devices 1128 include floppy disk drives,hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, RAIDsystems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

Coded instructions 1132 associated with any of FIGS. 1-10 can be storedin mass storage device 1128, in volatile memory 1114, in thenon-volatile memory 1116, and/or on a removable tangible computerreadable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

It may be noted that operations performed by the processor platform 1100(e.g., operations corresponding to process flows or methods discussedherein, or aspects thereof) may be sufficiently complex that theoperations may not be performed by a human being within a reasonabletime period.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example processor platform 1200 thatcan execute instructions to implement the example systems and methods ofFIGS. 1-10. The processor platform 1200 can be, for example, a server, apersonal computer, a mobile device (e.g., a cell phone, a smart phone, atablet such as an IPAD™), a personal digital assistant (PDA), anInternet appliance, or any other type of computing device.

The processor platform 1200 of the illustrated example includes aprocessor 1212. Processor 1212 of the illustrated example is hardware.For example, processor 1212 can be implemented by one or more integratedcircuits, logic circuits, microprocessors or controllers from anydesired family or manufacturer.

Processor 1212 of the illustrated example includes a local memory 1213(e.g., a cache). Processor 1212 of the illustrated example is incommunication with a main memory including a volatile memory 1214 and anon-volatile memory 1216 via a bus 1218. Volatile memory 1214 can beimplemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), DynamicRandom Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM)and/or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatilememory 1216 can be implemented by flash memory and/or any other desiredtype of memory device. Access to main memory 1214, 1216 is controlled bya memory controller. The processor 1212, alone or in conjunction withthe memory 1213, can be used to implement the central coordinator 260,control point 262, and/or other part of the systems disclosed herein.

Processor platform 1200 of the illustrated example also includes aninterface circuit 1220. Interface circuit 1220 can be implemented by anytype of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universalserial bus (USB), and/or a PCI express interface.

In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 1222 are connectedto the interface circuit 1220. Input device(s) 1222 permit(s) a user toenter data and commands into processor 1212. The input device(s) 1222can be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, acamera (still or video), a keyboard, a button, a mouse, a touchscreen, atrack-pad, a trackball, isopoint and/or a voice recognition system.

One or more output devices 1224 are also connected to interface circuit1220 of the illustrated example. Output devices 1224 can be implemented,for example, by display devices (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), anorganic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display, a cathoderay tube display (CRT), a touchscreen, a tactile output device, a lightemitting diode (LED), a printer and/or speakers). Interface circuit 1220of the illustrated example, thus, typically includes a graphics drivercard, a graphics driver chip or a graphics driver processor.

Interface circuit 1220 of the illustrated example also includes acommunication device such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, amodem and/or network interface card to facilitate exchange of data withexternal machines (e.g., computing devices of any kind) via a network1226 (e.g., an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL), atelephone line, coaxial cable, a cellular telephone system, etc.).

Processor platform 1200 of the illustrated example also includes one ormore mass storage devices 1228 for storing software and/or data.Examples of such mass storage devices 1228 include floppy disk drives,hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, RAIDsystems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

Coded instructions 1232 associated with any of FIGS. 1-10 can be storedin mass storage device 1228, in volatile memory 1214, in thenon-volatile memory 1216, and/or on a removable tangible computerreadable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

It may be noted that operations performed by the processor platform 1200(e.g., operations corresponding to process flows or methods discussedherein, or aspects thereof) may be sufficiently complex that theoperations may not be performed by a human being within a reasonabletime period.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention,including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in theart to practice the invention, including making and using any devices orsystems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope ofthe invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examplesthat occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intendedto be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elementsthat do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if theyinclude equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differencesfrom the literal language of the claims.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacturehave been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is notlimited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods,apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope ofthe claims of this patent.

1. A medical body area network apparatus to transmit and receivepatient-related data from at least one wearable monitoring device, theapparatus comprising: a radio to receive a beacon signal; and aprocessor to process the beacon signal to determine a location of theapparatus with respect to a healthcare facility, the processorconfigured to at least: when the beacon signal indicates a firstlocation inside the healthcare facility, configure at least one devicein the medical body area network apparatus to communicate via a firstfrequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates a second locationoutside the healthcare facility, configure at least one device in themedical body area network apparatus to communicate via a secondfrequency band, wherein the first frequency band includes the secondfrequency band.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is to process the beacon signal to determine the location ofthe apparatus based on at least one of a signal strength associated withthe beacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is to identify a transitionbetween first and second beacons based on first and second receivedbeacon signals.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is tofurther determine the location of the apparatus based on at least one ofa control message or a light intensity.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the medical body area network apparatus includes a) a hubincluding the processor and the radio and b) at least one sensor tomonitor a parameter associated with a person.
 7. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the processor is to notify a control point of a change inlocation via the radio.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein theprocessor is to receive and process a configuration message from thecontrol point in response to the change in location.
 9. A non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium including instructions which, whenexecuted, cause a processor to at least implement a method to control amedical body area network device to transmit and receive patient-relateddata from at least one wearable monitoring device by at least:processing a beacon signal to determine a location of the medical bodyarea network device with respect to a healthcare facility; when thebeacon signal indicates a first location inside the healthcare facility,configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in the medical bodyarea network device to communicate via a first frequency band; and whenthe beacon signal indicates a second location outside the healthcarefacility, configuring at least one wearable monitoring device in themedical body area network device to communicate via a second frequencyband, wherein the first frequency band includes the second frequencyband.
 10. (canceled)
 11. The computer readable storage medium of claim9, wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure theprocessor to process the beacon signal to determine the location of thedevice based on at least one of a signal strength associated with thebeacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.
 12. The computerreadable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted, further configure the processor identify a transition betweenfirst and second beacons based on first and second received beaconsignals.
 13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, whereinthe instructions, when executed, further configure the processor tofurther determine the location of the device based on at least one of acontrol message or a light intensity.
 14. The computer readable storagemedium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, furtherconfigure the processor to notify a control point of a change inlocation via the radio.
 15. The computer readable storage medium ofclaim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, further configure theprocessor receive and process a configuration message from the controlpoint in response to the change in location.
 16. A method to control amedical body area network device to transmit and receive patient-relateddata from at least one wearable monitoring device, the methodcomprising: processing, using a processor, a beacon signal to determinea location of the medical body area network device with respect to ahealthcare facility; when the beacon signal indicates a first locationinside the healthcare facility, configuring at least one wearablemonitoring device in the medical body area network device to communicatevia a first frequency band; and when the beacon signal indicates asecond location outside the healthcare facility, configuring at leastone wearable monitoring device in the medical body area network deviceto communicate via a second frequency band, wherein the first frequencyband includes the second frequency band
 17. (canceled)
 18. The method ofclaim 16, further including processing the beacon signal to determinethe location of the apparatus based on at least one of a signal strengthassociated with the beacon signal or an identifier in the beacon signal.19. The method of claim 18, wherein the processor is to identify atransition between first and second beacons based on first and secondreceived beacon signals.
 20. The method of claim 16, further includingdetermining the location of the apparatus based on at least one of acontrol message or a light intensity.